40+ Best Fall Dinners and Recipes

A Whole Season of Fall Recipes to Celebrate Autumn

This compilation of “stay-in” dinners is our first ever round up entirely composed of The Modern Proper recipes! In light of that, do you think we’re officially allowed to call ourselves the “no need to look anywhere else weeknight dinner blog”?

We need to start off by letting you know that there are NO soups in this round-up. Yes, it’s true—as soon as the leaves turn, thoughts of soup nights begin to swirl in our heads. BUT, we’ve shared so many soup recipes over the years, that we actually have all of our soup recipes in one place—a 30 Best Soup Recipes post for all of our favorite soup recipes in one convenient place!

Enough about soup. This fall recipe round-up is full of hearty, family-friendly dinners to get you through the chilly months. Let’s start with that trusty old Crock-Pot. 

Fall Dinners in the Crock-Pot.

Some people call it back-to-school season. We think of it as slow-cooker season.

• Slow-Cooker Chicken Pumpkin Curry.
• Slow-Cooker Swimming Rama, so simple and so much better than takeout!

If you’d like even more Crock-Pot inspiration, then be sure to check out our post for the 30 Best Slow-Cooker Recipes. 

All the Fall Flavors: Apple, Maple, Pumpkin & Squash Recipes

• Start the day with cozy Pumpkin Pancakes! There’s no better Halloween breakfast.
• Healthy, seasonal and hearty, Kale Salad with Apple and pumpkin seed clusters is a good lunch or light dinner.
• Easy, cozy and delicious, Butternut Squash Quesadillas are a school night favorite. 
• Whether you’ve got a haul from apple picking, or just crave a classic, you cannot go wrong with our totally classic Apple Pie.
• Warming, low-carb and so indulgent, make Spaghetti Squash with Creamed Spinach and Chicken for when you’ve got company!
• I serve Maple-Bacon Brussels Sprouts all year, because they’re so popular, but they taste especially good this time of year.
• Make easy Apple and Maple Baked Oatmeal on Sunday and eat it for breakfast all week! To serve, just warm it up and add milk.

Festive Fall Recipes

• Practice for your holiday entertaining early and feed your family in the process by making this Herb Crusted Pork Roast with Port Wine Sauce for dinner this week.
• This tender Italian Pot Roast is full of flavor and pairs perfectly with polenta and parmesan cheese.
• Rich, wine-y and hearty, our Wine-Braised Beef with Mushrooms just screams fall that has begun!

One-Pot Fall Recipes

• Creamy Chicken Orzo is the love child of chicken noodle soup and risotto, and it’s pure comfort in a bowl.
• Our One Pot Braised Kale with Crispy Chicken is an autumnal one-pot recipe that we know you’re going to love.
• Red Beans and Rice might just become your next favorite one pot dinner.
• A tangy honey-mustard sauce is the key to this super flavorful One-Pan Honey Mustard Chicken and Vegetables.

It Always Comes Back to Macaroni and Cheese.

• Or keep it classic with our Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese.
• If you are a mushroom fan, then this cozy Mushroom Mac and Cheese will be your jam!
• This 4-Ingredient Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese is easy, cheesy perfection.
• If you’re feeling creative, mix things up with this spicy Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese.

Meatballs + Fall Dinner = LOVE

• We believe that most things benefit from a dose of red curry past, and these Turkey Meatballs in a Creamy Red Curry Sauce are no exception. They’re a hit with everyone who tries them and this 40 Best Fall Dinners list wouldn’t be complete without them.
• Ever put a stick of butter in your spaghetti sauce? It might sound crazy, but make these Spaghetti and Meatballs and you’ll never go back.
• Meatball Shakshuka? Take two things you love, put them together and you’ve got yourself one delicious dinner!
• Baked Teriyaki Meatballs make for a great freezer meal and are perfect for busy weekday dinners.

Chili When it’s Chilly

• How about making this Award Winning Chili for some extra game-day luck...Lord knows we all need it.
• A colorful mix of garlic, green chilies, and red bell pepper mingles with cumin and chili powder for a White Bean Chicken Chili that will warm you from head to toe.
• If we could only eat one type of chili for the rest of our lives, it would have be this warming, comforting, healthy Turkey Pumpkin Chili recipe.
• Crock-Pot Paleo Chili….it’s all the rage!
• Warmly spiced and totally unique, our authentic Cincinnati Chili recipe tastes as close as we can get to the famous Skyline original recipe without hopping a flight to Ohio.
• Easy, fast and healthy, this super-delicious Turkey Chili recipe hits all the spots.
• Our hearty, beef-and-bean Chili Con Carne recipe is classic, richly flavorful and satisfying.

When You Only Have One Pan.

• It doesn’t have to be Thanksgiving to have stuffing for dinner. This One Pot Chicken and Stuffing is oh, so cozy.
• Have you ever heard of Fasolakia? These tomato-y Greek braised green beans are such a treat and a delicious way to get more veggies in your diet.
• All it takes is one cast iron pan to make this Skillet Chicken Pot Pie and dinner clean up is a cinch.

Vegetarian Fall Dinners Everyone Will Love.

• Our easy-peasy, creamy Wild Mushroom Risotto recipe is such a richly flavorful, meatless main dish you’ll hunt for any excuse to make it again.
• Make a double batch of that polenta and add some veggies for this Creamy Goat Cheese Polenta with Ratatouille, you’ll be happy that you did!
• Three Ingredient Tomato Sauce! You heard that right! We know some of you are still looking for ways to use up those summer garden tomatoes and this is the recipe for you!
• The biscuits on this Vegetable Pot Pie art literally to die for.
• No need to boil the noodles for this Baked Penne Alla Vodka you just drop them into the sauce and pop it in the oven. Now that’s our kind of meal.

Beef Dinners to Serve in Fall. 

• Fall fare doesn’t get much better than this Beef Bourguignon recipe! The classic French beef stew is made with simple ingredients like chuck roast and red wine, and the leftovers are heavenly.
• A big bowl of Slow Cooker Curry Ramen with Beef is a meal we want to eat all year round, but especially in the fall.
• This Roast Beef Red Curry in coconut milk is a real crowd pleaser.
• Want the most flavorful slow cooked pot roast? Serve this Korean Style Pot Roast with fluffy white rice, steamed broccoli for a tasty meal.

Cozy Fall Recipes with Pork

• Loaded with tender pieces of pork and veggies, too, this easy Pork Stew recipe is hearty, comforting and bursting with flavor!
• At once simple and richly delicious, Pork Chops With Miso Mushrooms is a slightly dressed-up classic that you can make fast in just one pan.
• These Pecan Crusted Pork Chops with Apple Chutney are probably the most autumnal recipe on this list. Pork, pecans, and apples, oh my!
• Nothing is quite as belly-warming as hearty British pub food, and our classic Bangers And Mash recipe is no exception.

Fall Chicken Dinners are Always Winners.

• Indian Butter Chicken ...enough said.
• Lasagna Stuffed Zucchini Boats beat out pasta any night.
• Want the recipe for a no fail, easy peasy, whole oven chicken? We’ve got it right here. This Perfect Roast Chicken with Lemon Herb Pan Sauce is a classic for a reason.
• You’ll fall in love with this easy One-Pot Creamy Mediterranean Pasta with chicken, lemons and olives, we promise.

Healthy Fall Dinners FTW.

• The parsnip purée on this Healthy Shepherd's Pie is so delicious and it’s also Whole30 approved. Bonus!
• Turkey Stuffed Peppers makes for an easy weeknight meal at its finest.
• Braised Chicken Provençal with green olives, tomatoes, shallots and plenty of garlic bursts with sunny flavors, but is right at home in the middle of fall.

Did You Make One of These Fall Dinner Recipes?

We hope you love this 40 Best Fall Dinners list. If you make any of these dishes, we’d love to hear about it. Be sure to tag @themodernproper and #themodernproper on Instagram to share where you found the recipe. Happy eating!